Things to Do in Margate, United Kingdom: Walking Guide

Margate is a seaside town in Kent, on the Isle of Thanet, known for its beaches, maritime history, historic churches and creative atmosphere. From contemporary art and a mysterious shell-covered grotto to small museums and theatres, there are plenty of distinctive things to do in Margate. Neywo has a free audio guide for Margate with 17 narrated places, available in 11 languages.

What to See in Margate

The best places to visit in Margate range from major cultural attractions to small, unusual buildings. Exploring them on foot reveals a town shaped by the sea, art, religion, community life and changing ideas about leisure.

Turner Contemporary

Turner Contemporary is a gallery devoted to modern and contemporary art. It opened in 2011 as part of an effort to help regenerate Margate, with funding that was mainly public and partly private. The gallery was designed by David Chipperfield, and its name recalls the connection between Margate and the landscape painter J. M. W. Turner.

The building itself is worth noticing alongside the exhibitions. Its position reinforces the relationship between the town, the shoreline and the changing light associated with Turner’s work.

Margate Old Town Local History Museum

The Margate Old Town Local History Museum explores the history of Margate and its surroundings in Thanet, Kent. It is a useful stop for placing the town’s streets, buildings and local traditions in context.

Crab Museum

The Crab Museum is a small, unusual museum dedicated to decapods. It describes itself as Europe’s first and only museum devoted to these creatures. Founded in 2021 by Chase Coley, Bertie Suesat-Williams and Ned Suesat-Williams, it brings an idiosyncratic subject to Margate Old Town.

Tudor House

Tudor House is a historic house in Thanet, Kent. Its modest scale and distinctive name make it one of the local historic places to notice while exploring Margate.

Former Congregational Church, now a mosque

This building was formerly a Congregational church and now serves as a mosque. Its changing use reflects continuing community life in Margate and gives the building a story that extends beyond its original religious purpose.

Parish Church of St John the Baptist

The Parish Church of St John the Baptist is a local church in Margate. It is one of the town’s religious landmarks and forms part of the historic character of the area.

Theatre Royal, Margate

The Theatre Royal, Margate is a theatre in the town. It adds a performing-arts landmark to the route through Margate’s cultural and historic centre.

RNLI Dunkirk Memorial

The RNLI Dunkirk Memorial is a war memorial in Margate. It offers a quiet place to pause and reflect on the wartime story commemorated there.

Church of All Saints

The Church of All Saints is in Westbrook, Kent. The church building is one of the local places to stop and take in while exploring the wider Margate area.

Church of St Paul

The Church of St Paul is a church building in Thanet, Kent. It is one of the stops connecting Margate with the surrounding places of worship and historic buildings.

The Tom Thumb Theatre

The Tom Thumb Theatre is a theatre in Margate, in Thanet, Kent. Its small scale gives it a distinctive place among the town’s cultural venues.

St Anne’s Church

St Anne’s Church is a Catholic church in Cliftonville, Margate. It adds another dimension to the area’s religious architecture and community history.

Holy Trinity Church, Margate

Holy Trinity Church is a Church of England church in Margate and belongs to the Diocese of Canterbury. It is one of Cliftonville’s local landmarks.

St James

St James is a Grade II listed church building in Garlinge, in Thanet, Kent. Its listed status recognises its architectural and historic interest.

Shell Grotto

The Shell Grotto is one of Margate’s most unusual attractions. This underground passageway and main room were carved from chalk and covered almost entirely with mosaics made from seashells. The mosaics cover about 190 square metres and contain approximately 4.6 million shells.

The grotto’s origin remains a mystery: its age, creator and original purpose are unknown. It was rediscovered around 1835 and opened to the public as a privately owned tourist attraction in 1837. Today, it is a Grade I listed building, with a museum room, café and gift shop attached.

Explore Margate with a Self-Guided Audio Tour

A Margate self-guided walking tour lets you explore the town at your own pace while hearing the story of each place as you reach it. Neywo’s free audio guide includes two walking tours and one bus route.

The first walk covers 3.35 km in 104 minutes, with 10 narrated stops. It connects Turner Contemporary, Margate Old Town Local History Museum, the Crab Museum, Tudor House, the former Congregational Church now used as a mosque, the Parish Church of St John the Baptist, Theatre Royal, Margate, and the Shell Grotto, among other stops.

The second walk covers 2.76 km in 59 minutes and has four stops. It explores Cliftonville and includes the Church of St Paul, the Tom Thumb Theatre, St Anne’s Church and Holy Trinity Church, Margate.

There is also a 3.2 km bus route lasting 14 minutes, with four narrated stops: Tudor House, Margate Caves, the Church of St Paul and Holy Trinity Church, Margate.

Download Neywo to explore Margate with an audio guide that tells the story of each place as you arrive. Walk at your own pace, with no group and no schedule.